Ohio Abortions Fall to Lowest Total in 12 Years, Health Department Reports

From http://www.lifenews.com/state3618.html

Ohio Abortions Fall to Lowest Total in 12 Years, Health Department Reports

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 4, 2008

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Cincinnati, OH (LifeNews.com) -- The Ohio health department has released a new report showing the number of abortions in Ohio has reached its lowest total in 12 years. The statistics, which comes from 2007, show abortions have declined for another year to 28,921 with almost 94 percent done on in-state residents.

As Americans head to the polls today to choose a new president, the Ohio health department noted that the policies of the Bush administration appear to be working in terms of reducing abortions.

"The number of total abortions performed in Ohio has seen a decline annually since 2000," it indicated.

The new report showed white residents accounted for about 60 percent of abortions in Ohio while black Ohio residents had about 40 percent of the abortions.

Women over the age of 25 accounted for nearly half the abortions while women under the age of 20 had just under 20 percent. The report shows abortions have declined consistently among all age groups.

Most Ohio abortions are done early in pregnancy, but the report showed at least 14 percent are done after 13 weeks of pregnancy. Most women are unmarried at the time of their abortion.

Cuyahoga and Franklin counties lead the state with the highest abortion totals while Hamilton county comes in third.

More than half of the women who had abortions in Ohio in 2007 had at least one prior abortion with almost 7,500 having had one, nearly 3,300 having had two, and more than 2,000 women having had three or more prior abortions.

Paula Westwood, the director of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, talked with LifeNews.com about the new report and she was pleased with the decline but is hoping for even few abortions in the future.

"Every number means the death of a baby, and too many are still killed," she said. "We are grateful for every decrease--due to the vigilant work of so many to spread the pro-life truth."

"We intend to step up the work for further decreases in abortion numbers in this area, and state and nationwide, regardless of the political, cultural, or moral climate in the wake of today's election," Westwood promised.

The report indicates 64 women suffered complications from their abrotion and 56 women suffered one or more complications.

They included incomplete abortions, severe blood loss, infection, and hehmorraging.


Related web sites:
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati - http://www.cincinnatirighttolife.org/